"BUMPY LANDINGS," by Donald J. Carey, Bonneville Books, $15.99, 251 pages (f)
Jordan MacDonald made a promise to his father before he died. He promised he would get his pilot's license, but his mother had absolutely forbidden him to fly. In an effort to make his own way in life after recently returning from an LDS mission, Jordan decides to go behind her back and learn to fly.
The thrill of flying over the majestic mountains of his native Hawaii is overshadowed by his guilt of keeping it all a secret. As he fights the need to tell his mother the truth against his desire to fly, Jordan also struggles to sequester strong feelings for a girl he cannot have. This beautiful Hawaiian steals his heart from the moment he meets her, but she belongs to someone else. Jordan attempts to transfer his affections to another young woman and experiences a rocky relationship that only adds to his pain and frustration.
In a happy turn of events Jordan gets his Hawaiian girl but is met with one more obstacle on his road to eternal bliss. Jordan tests the limits of friendship, wallows in the sorrow of lost love and discovers just how far he is willing to go for what he wants.
"Bumpy Landings," a debut novel by Donald J. Carey, an alumnus of BYU-Hawaii, is a light, enjoyable read. The flight through Jordan's post-mission life is a bit typical but easy to relate to. Jordan's journey from a struggling returned missionary to a confidant adult will make readers smile and nod in understanding. The writing is average, but the setting of the Hawaiian islands is exotic, romantic and beautiful. The characters are likable, if a bit one-dimensional and emotionally superficial. The themes of honesty and self-discovery are strong and well-presented. The romance is predictable but sweet. The LDS themes are subtle so readers who do not enjoy a heavy-handed dose of religion but seek for high morality in their novels will appreciate Carey's offering.
Teri Harman writes and reads from home amid the chaos of three young children. She blogs at teriharmanzenwriting.blogspot.com.
